Two more IS sympathisers held in Hyderabad

Hyderabad, July 12 (IANS) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested two more persons here during its probe into a suspected Islamic State (IS) terror module busted in the city last month. Five youths have already been arrested so far.

The IS sympathisers have been identified as Mohammed Ataullah Rehman, 30, and Syed Naimath Ullah Hussaini, 42.

"Rehman and Hussaini were arrested on Monday after we found their role in terror acts. Both the arrested persons will be produced before the NIA special court today (Tuesday) and NIA will seek their custody for further probe," an NIA official told IANS on condition of anonymity on Tuesday.

Rehman allegedly played a key role in the conspiracy. He was involved in radicalising the group members and also allegedly administered Bayah (oath of allegiance) to the IS chief Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi, to the group members.

He is said to have participated in several conspiracy meetings as revealed by the other co-accused arrested in the case.

Hussaini was acting as 'amir' of the group, contributing money to the terrorist fund collected by the members. He too participated in key conspiracy meetings, the NIA officials said.

The NIA on June 29 busted an IS module by detaining 11 young men during searches at 10 places in the old city of Hyderabad.

Five of them -- Mohammed Iliyas Yazdani, 24, his brother Mohammed Ibrahim Yazdani, 29, Habib Mohammed, 32, Mohammed Irfan alias Yaqais, 26, and Abdullah Bin Ahmed Al Amoodi alias Fahad, 30-- were arrested.

Rehman and Hussaini were among those six who were detained by the anti-terror agency.

The other detainees were Muzaffar Hussain Rizwan, 29, Abdul, 32, A.M. Azhar, 20, and Mohammed Arbaz Ahmed, 21.

The NIA said the men were conspiring to commit terrorist acts in various parts of the country. According to the agency, they were planning to target public places, including religious sites and sensitive government buildings.

Investigators said that Rehman and Hussaini have been arrested for their key role in the conspiracy.